1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to receptacles and package and article carriers. More particularly, this invention relates to a collapsible trunk organizer.
2. Description of the Related Art
Automobile trunks and mini vans and other vehicles with relatively flat cargo storage areas provide little means for confining packages placed within such spaces. Thus, there exists a need for a system that provides, when needed, individual storage areas for segregating and supporting items such as grocery bags and the like and yet, when not needed, can be folded flat, so as to occupy minimal space so that the storage device need not be removed from the vehicle. Many relatively complicated, interlocking storage devices have been proposed for this purpose. These include those devices disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,986,656; 4,029,244; 4,189,056; 4,226,348; 5,004,146; 5,054,668; 5,167,363; 5,366,189; 5,419,471; 5,518,170; 5,538,148; 5,772,058; 5,819,996; 6,015,071; 6,206,224 and 6,488,168.
Although these storage devices serve to provide segregation and support for individual items, they tend to be somewhat complicated, expensive and few of them are easily converted between stored and use positions. Consequently, a need continues to exist for an inexpensive, durable, easy-to-use and compact storage system for organizing vehicle storage area for the convenience of the user as well as facilitating the support of items being transported.
3. Objects and Advantages
There has been summarized above, rather broadly, the prior art that is related to the present invention in order that the context of the present invention may be better understood and appreciated. In this regard, it is instructive to also consider the objects and advantages of the present invention.
An object of the present invention is to provide a grocery shopping convenience device for use and stowing within an automobile trunk or other vehicle cargo space, and which overcomes the shortcomings of the prior art.
Specifically, it is an object to provide a portable collapsible organizer that, when open for operative use, accommodates bags of groceries within properly sized, rectangular shaped individual open cells for holding such bags in an upright position against movement during transit; and which, after use, can be quickly closed in a relatively flat configuration by collapsing it, without the need for any tools, added parts or hardware, for convenient stowing.
It is another object of the present invention that this organizer use similar procedures for opening and closing the organizer.
It is a further object of the present invention that this organizer be durable and capable of being opened or closed numerous times.
It is an object of the present invention that this organizer be economical to produce.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become readily apparent as the invention is better understood by reference to the accompanying drawings and the detailed description that follows.
The present invention is generally directed to satisfying the needs set forth above and overcoming the limitations and problems identified with prior interlocking storage devices.
In accordance with one preferred embodiment, the present invention takes the form of a portable, collapsible trunk or cargo space organizer. Its elements include: (a) an initially flat, rectangular main panel having a centerline between its ends, with a parallel fold line at a specified distance on each side of the centerline; these fold lines serving to define two movable, side sections and a middle section of this main panel, (b) a flat, rectangular middle panel whose top side corner edges have a specified radius of curvature, (c) flat, rectangular end panels whose width is approximately equal to the width of the main panel""s middle section, and with the bottom edge of such end panels having a notch that is configured to cooperate with the middle panel""s curved corner edges, (d) a strap of length approximately equal to the main panel""s middle section, with each of the strap""s ends attaching to one of the main panel""s side edges and with its midpoint attaching to a point on the top edge of the middle panel, (e) means for coupling each of the top side corners of the end panels to one of the corners of the main panel""s side edges, and (f) a means for hingedly coupling the middle panel""s bottom edge proximate the centerline of the main panel.
In its stored mode, the ends of the organizer fold upward to allow the main panel""s side sections and the middle panel to fold down so that the organizer can lay essentially flat. When in use, the main panel""s side sections and the middle panel fold upward and are held in place by the end panels folding down so that their notches slide along the sides of middle panel so as to allow the end panels to stand upright to hold the various elements in place.
Thus, there has been summarized above, rather broadly, the present invention in order that the detailed description that follows may be better understood and appreciated. There are, of course, additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of any eventual claims to this invention.